Achieving any sustainability goal depends on your ability to collaborate
Image: At multilateral diplomacy training at United Nations office in Geneva in December 2024.
We can be very knowledgeable in different sustainability practices. We can have all the possible studies and research in our hands. We can have all the sustainability solutions in the world. But why are we still not able to turn the ship around to a sustainable direction. According to the United Nations SDG Status Report, only 17% of the Sustainable Development Goal targets are on track, with nearly half making minimal or moderate progress. Are we going towards an apocalypse or is there a magic ingredient to changing the direction? Can we learn and bring in something from diplomatic practices?
Last fall, I began to study diplomacy with UNITAR, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research in Geneva. Through these studies at the Division for Multilateral Diplomacy I’ve had an opportunity to explore how diplomacy can help in overcoming global challenges related to multilateralism, international cooperation, peace and security, climate change, human rights, and science and technology. The reason I pursued this path is that I believe creating real impact requires more than just expertise in various areas of sustainability—whether social, economic or environmental. I wanted to take it to another level. Could the secret ingredient to change be at an extremely human level and in how we collaborate and meet each other? Could diplomacy be the missing ingredient in achieving sustainability goals? It has become evident to me that when applied it can help businesses and organisations overcome internal silos, align stakeholders, and navigate the challenges they are facing.
Sustainability isn't moving forward because of the collaboration gap
Sustainability challenges often contradict current business models, existing goals, and established ways of thinking. In organisations, this can cause tension—both internally and externally—that must be resolved. Many companies are struggling to align their teams and stakeholders with their sustainability goals, particularly when it comes to the complexities of CSRD reporting and engaging employees and the board of directors. The question becomes: how do we get everyone to move in the same direction toward a shared vision?
From my experience working with companies over the past year as a sustainability entrepreneur, I’ve seen that making sustainability part of the company’s core operations, rather than a standalone initiative, is one of the biggest challenges sustainability leaders are facing. Lack of alignment, collaboration, and engagement among stakeholders is slowing down the progress. This is where diplomacy can offer real value. I believe that by applying diplomatic practices, companies can overcome barriers and bring sustainability to the forefront of their priorities.
Sustainability needs to be relevant to everyone within the organisation, and this can’t happen in isolation or within the bubble of a sustainability team. It needs to be integrated into every task, at every level of the organisation making every job a climate job, a sustainability job. The real challenge is collaboration. Without meaningful dialogue and mutual understanding, progress is impossible. The complexity of the challenges we face demands not just representation, but a willingness to engage in deeper, more thoughtful dialogues and collaborate on solutions that go beyond surface-level monthly update meetings. These are difficult and emotional discussions.
Empathy is the most important skill in collaboration
Diplomacy, like design, is a tool for solving complex problems. I realised that diplomacy takes problem-solving even further. It goes to the very core of what it means to be a human in the middle of an unclear situation that requires a solution. There is no way out with AI, robots or data. They can support in the solution making but it is us humans who have to sit down and meet to discuss and answer the question: what value and role can I take or offer to a person in order to drive a future that is sustainable for both the individual, for the company and for the planet?
In sustainability work, diplomatic practices could help in finding common ground, understand differing motivations, and build trust. The exploration phase becomes crucial here. We have to understand the interests, motivations, concerns, even trauma before we can move forward. If we don’t address concerns, contradictions, and hopes upfront, the outcome is likely to be negative since people did a bad work collaborating or there was none.
Ultimately, if we want to create lasting, impactful change, diplomacy offers a way forward. A way to bring people together, value collaboration, and make sustainability a core part of how we do business. This is the most human-centered way to do business there is. As one of our lecturers, H.E. Mr. Miloš Strugar, shared during our diplomatic training: "Empathy is the most important skill in diplomacy." I totally see that empathy is the most important skill in sustainability work. Do you agree?
“Empathy is the most important skill in diplomacy.”
Diplomacy can align your teams and stakeholders
At its core multilateral diplomacy creates spaces for important discussions and decisions. Why not do this in your organisation too? Without spaces for discussion, we risk missing innovative solutions and continuing with disengagement. Applying diplomacy in sustainability work can help you bring people together, to create unity and not exclusivity.
Think about this for a while: what if you established an internal sustainability steering committee? I would like to see companies form cross-departmental groups that include key decision-makers from finance, operations, HR, and marketing - from all the operations and management. You can choose a mediator to ensure all points of views are heard. You can find common ground on how to integrate sustainability into each department’s objectives.
Regardless of your role, why not organise bi-weekly or monthly meetings to discuss sustainability goals, align on shared priorities, and resolve any conflicts of interest there might be. This way you can open a possibility for creating clear sustainability related responsibilities for each employee, board member and stakeholder.
Voilá!
Bringing the right people at the right tables
Ten years ago we were living in a much simpler world. At least it feels like it. Or did we just now start to understand the real nature of humanity and our planet. Have we just been oversimplifying our reality? The complex global challenges we’re now living in the midst of require diverse perspectives, expertise, and representation from all stakeholders—governments, businesses, civil society, and marginalised communities. For this reason, we have to be able to bring the right people at the right tables to make the change we want to see in the world. If we want to reach both the Sustainable Development Goals and the sustainability targets of different companies and organisations we need to understand the different perspectives and meet each other at a human level.
We can have all the possible sustainability solutions but if we don’t bring the right people at the right tables to discuss about difficult things.. With the help of diplomacy we can reach amazing outcomes, often compromises but these are steps towards a more regenerative, sustainable future.